It has been quiet sometime now that these adulterate and "home made" beers hit the night spots in Selangor,perhaps other states too and some even appear in coffee shops.I first encountered these adulterate ones about two years ago in a karaoke pub.
It was like the normal evening out with friends where we were drinking in another pub where we enjoyed every pint of fresh draft beers. Then one friend decided he has the urge to sing,hence we adjourned to a karaoke pub nearby.The first jug of draft beers arrived and immediately we noticed the difference in taste. It tasted rather diluted.We did not make a fuss out of it, instead we continue drinking and change the next order to bottles instead of draft beers. It was like a mistake from one to another.The bottles came and one of us felt something "funny" about the taste, but we all joked and said that perhaps it is a different brand of beers hence the different in taste.We drank on. That evening itself, I had terrible experience in the middle of my sleep, and I woke up feeling unwell. I brush it off as perhaps I had one too many,until all five of us who had the evening together and exchanged experience,only to learned that four out of five had similiar experience.From then on I was more cautious with my drinks.As time goes by, I started to take notice of my beers and gradually blacklisted the pubs/night joints that serve "bad" beers and only drink in places where they serve fresh draft beers.
We talked among our friends and with some owners of pubs and learned that the adulterate ones are normally mixed with water.Hence after a few rounds of fresh beers one would not really notice the difference, except one frequent the toilets
very much more often then before.However it is always very easy for the tainted pub operator/owner to tell their patrons that it is very normal for beer drinkers to frequent the toilet often.
I was told there was a newspaper report sometime ago in the Chinese press that the enforcement raided a huge factory somewhere in Sungei Buloh, where "home made" beers were produced. Branded brands like Carlsberg were widely used in this back yard factory.
Ironical, I have been places where they serve adulterate beers ,however there are still many patron frequenting these places. I just wonder, how come they did not notice the difference, or was it that they don't mind, as the beers are much cheaper here, or is it that simply most patron ,especially Malaysian do not care.
I have visited places like Bangkok,Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore and I have never experience being serve with adulterate or "home made" beers.I sincerely am against being poison or toxified for something I am paying for.
I only can hope ,especially with the new line up of Ministers,that more efficient enforcement shall be conducted more frequently and quickly before this episode hits the tourist in a big way.
